Hello jhg63, thank you for your response.
The intent of my last post is not so much related to Christianity as it is about how people deal with other people. The sociological angle is what I’m getting at.
Christianity obviously provides a good and easy example, but there are also many other ways to illustrate the situation where one person believes he has a handle on a truth and then finds himself in an encounter with someone who holds a contradictory view. And the story doesn’t even have to be about truth vs. opposition. For instance, if you see a friend at a convenience store counter buying lunch for his children and it consists solely of three Twinkies for each of them, this may seem like a really bad idea to you, but there is a way of interacting with your friend that doesn’t necessitate being a jerk. The good health and long life of your friend and his children are “worth fighting for”, but “fighting” doesn’t have to actually involve fighting.
The truth can hurt like a “sword” in all sorts of scenarios. A chain smoking friend can be “cut” by the presentation of information about the negative effects of his habit, but saying “the truth hurts” does not provide license to be a bull in a china shop if the friend really only needs some encouragement and accountability.
Some people see societal progress where others see societal breakdown. Some people see heresy where others see orthodoxy. Some people see very plain clarity in the Bible where others can’t make any sense of it. Some people crave Twinkies and cigarettes while others love exercise and broccoli.
Interactions require patience and sensitivity when disagreement is involved. Certainly, things are not always sweet and easy, but it is possible to discuss family planning and sexuality and “soul matters” and all sorts of things without verbally punching people in the nose.
4 comments:
Thank you for your response. I think we are talking about completely different things! I hope all is going well for you and yours. We are trying to get back into the school routine and it is an adjustment.
Have you ever taken Theology classes at Little Rock Theology Institute? They are extremely interesting and help establish a broader and deeper foundation for our faith. The classes are on Friday evening and for 8 hours the next day one time per month. The teachers are very proficient teachers from various Catholic Universities around the country.
The classes start September 11 and you can earn a Bachelors in Theology from St. Gregory's if you already have a Bachelors degree.
I took 1 1/2 years of classes then got sick and withdrew, but I found it very interesting and helpful in understanding who we are as Catholics and why we believe what we do and how the Tradition was handed down and many other fascinating things!
I have not taken classes at the LR Theology Institute, but I've heard it's an interesting program.
Do I know you jhg63?
I think that we think that we know each other. I'm Janie's husband, John, and yes I am an activist of sorts.
I march in the March for Life marches. I write letters to legislators, both state and federal in an effort to help correct not all the social ills but the ones that affect me and those I love.
I've worked in a funeral home and picked up the body of a teenager playing with a gun. I've watched the NRA promote ideals like the only way to take their gun is to pry it out of their dead fingers. I've educated myself on abortion and seen the affects that it has on families, women's psyche's and the children that could have been happily adopted had the McDonald style suction business been not so well greased by the US government.
The same government whom I've watched defeat case after case involving what is good right and Christian in public schools.
I asked Shona, the other day, what her opinion of the British Health Services was (NHS) and was pleasantly surprised that it was not what the propagandas would tell you about it in this country. And the same can be said for Canada, for I have friends that drive to Canada for every medical condition, including childbirth.
This is a pet problem of mine because I cannot buy insurance in America at any price. I've been uninsurable since I was 16 years old and was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. Little did I know that not only was I facing a lifetime of dealing with a mental illness, by federal law, the insurance companies could deny to sell me health insurance.
These and other little discoveries about our government and society have helped me become what I am today. I good person!!!
I work where I work because Janie and I adopted 2 children who turned out to be very special needs children and much of their problem, besides their mother's low moral standards, was the drugs and alcohol that was in the home. And also most probably in utero, pre-birth. These children struggled to get along with anyone in Church, School or anywhere else and the environment which the children came from contributed most heavily to their conditions. I work everyday to admit and encourage these people of a better way of life.
Before this, I worked at Pathfinder for 5 years, helping mentally retarded people with in their lives and training them to live more independent and self-fulfilling lives.
I've not taken the easy road through out my life in fear that I would not learn something. And this may make me a bit outspoken. I don't see how one can be heard unless they speak.
Our opinions often differ but usually we can understand that the other person has a right to that opinion. It is for this reason that I'm writing you. I don't want to offend you in my fb blogs, and I speak boldly and frankly with my friends. If you want to remove me from your list that's fine. It won't bother me.
Remember though, you grow during the challenging times, not the easy.
Yes, Little Rock Theology Institute is all that and more than I ever expected. If it didn't require so darn much mental activity and homework, I would be there now. It's just that I have to prioritize and my family is my first priority. I know that you understand that.
Have a good night, my friend.
Hi John, I'm glad to have a real name to go with the screen name! I'll reply to this last note by email. And I'm working on a general post regarding activism. Meanwhile, just a quick note to say, I'm not opposed to activism.
Post a Comment